Dream Theater, a five-piece progressive metal band known for musical grandiosity and instrumental virtuosity, is up to its old tricks again. “A Dramatic Turn of Events,” released on Sept. 13, transports listeners to a world of fantasy through a heavy use of theatricality and sound effects. The overall musical aesthetic and instrumentation will be familiar to fans of Dream Theater’s previous albums like “Awake” and “Octavarium,” even with longtime drummer Mike Portnoy being replaced by speed drumming whiz Mike Mangini.
The album’s first song, “On the Back Of Angels,” begins with a gentle, baroque-sounding solo guitar, introducing the otherworldly feel of the album. Lyrically, this song seems to explore a heavenly battlefield, but the subtext is satirical. “Content to feed off the machine/bleeding us to death/the new American dream,” sings James LaBrie, after a long instrumental lead-in. The guitar harmonies layered on top of a complex bass line mirrors the layering of lyrical ideas. Mid-way through the track, there is a gorgeous keyboard solo by Jordan Rudess, evoking an epic standoff between good and evil.
Next, “Build Me Up, Break Me Down” has a hardcore electric guitar intro, giving way to distorted vocals. The heaviness and distortion lend themselves to comparisons with screamo music. John Petrucci, the lead guitarist plays a couple of ridiculously precise solos, with a keen ear for dynamic and timing. John Myung’s bass guitar is smooth and simplistic on this one, with a very catchy bass line. The cymbal-heavy drums are fairly basic as well, in contrast to Mangini’s usually complex style. Simply put, the song seems to channel sonic frustration.
“Bridges in the Sky” is hands down the best song in the album. The 11-minute odyssey begins with a light tambourine rhythm and a low guttural voice. Soon, an ancient sounding chorus joins in, followed jarringly by the band itself. The song is marked by dueling keyboard and guitar solos. The mammoth of a track stomps over dozens of time signatures and key changes effortlessly, plowing headlong into a dramatic ending. The vocals drop out with a minute remaining on a vibrato plea: “shaman take my hand.” Finally, the song ends with a creepy keyboard outro, accompanied by the same guttural chant from the intro.
“Outcry” has elements of the unknown and fear. The song begins with a haunting piano intro with some weird noises such as static and tumbleweeds passing by. Then, guitar and drums open the song with the piano and the guitar pulingl off a fast series of notes that produce a sense of urgency and chaos as if the solos are depicting war and fighting. Next, the song mellows out, with soft piano notes and sung notes. Then, the whole band comes in and increases in volume over time. The song ends with a gang of vocals shouting “hey,” fading in the background.
Fans of rock music should buy this album. This rock does not destroy ears at a low volume. It is the type of music that one can sit down with and relax after a long day after work. It is the type of music that listeners can go in order to escape from the stress of ordinary life.
Reggie Kwok can be reached at [email protected].
